Visual snow in a paediatric patient

Abstract

Case report: The case is presented of an 11 year-old girl referring to a one year history of photophobia and continuously seeing white spots in both eyes. The patient had a visual acuity of unity in both eyes, and a normal eye examination, and was referred to the Neuro-ophthalmology Unit. Once complete laboratory and imaging tests ruled out the possibility of any neurological pathology, she was diagnosed with visual snow (VS).

Discussion: VS is an isolated symptom, possibly part of the migraine aura, that is referred by patients reporting numerous and constant white dots moving in the visual field of BE. It can significantly interfere with patient's daily activities by altering their quality of life, and ending up as a misdiagnosis. Paediatric patients also present a diagnostic challenge due to the complex interpretation that the presence of VS involves in them.

Keywords: Alucinaciones; Charles Bonnet; Children; Hallucinations; Niño; Syndrome; Síndrome.